By The Sword
by ang3Lix
Summary: The prince of Konoha was taken captive by an opposing country. Not one knight inthe royal army was worthy of retrieving the hostage. But it seemed that they found a strong warrior in a simple peasant. But wait... she's a girl! (sasuke x sakura)
1. 01 The peasant and the prince

**Disclaimer**: cookie, anyone?

**A/n** uhm yeah, I got another new one. I'm practically digging up my own grave by posting so many stories, but I can't help it! This one is inspired by the movie 'Kingdom of Heaven', though it doesn't really have any connection to the plot of this fan fiction. Another fic where Sakura can gratefully kick some major bad-guy asses!

Enjoy, yall!

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**Summary**: The prince of Konoha was taken captive of an opposing country. Not one knight in the royal army was worthy of retrieving the hostage. But it seemed that they found a strong warrior in a simple peasant. But wait… she's a girl! (sasuke x sakura)

* * *

**By the Sword**

By: ang3Lix

Chapter: **the peasant and the prince

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**

A large crowd of spectators surrounded the village town square, where something of importance seemed to be held. Ah, yes. The traditional fighting matches that this township was known for. Many people in this part of town were either great fighters, or big gamblers. Ether of which, this village was clearly peaceful, and brawls between fellow villagers rarely came up.

In the very heart of the escalating crowd, two figures were present. Both were standing on different corners, a good length apart from each other. The appearances of both ranged in variety.

The person on the left corner was dressed in the usual armored clothing, his head covered with a metal helmet for protection. His face was swathed with a dark cloth, hiding his appearance from everybody. Only his eyes were visible, narrowed in aggression. In both hands he held a ragged sword, the blade seemingly dull and it already lacked luster. His body weight was shifted on his right leg, which was advanced forward. It he looked as if he was ready to kill.

The other one can be regarded as simple. Simple, yet equally mysterious. A flowing scarlet cloak draped his whole body, which held no armor at all. The hood that came with the cloak sheltered most of his face from prying eyes. But what really concealed his appearance was an ivory white mask that was plastered on the upper portion of his face, framing his striking orbs that oddly contained serenity.

It was obvious that he wasn't known in this town, for the crowd was struggling to contain their curiosity. Never did they witness this certain man fight in public. They knew that fighting with cloaks will only limit your flexibility for it was clearly a great discomfort. Not to mention a hindrance. Many bets were already placed on each warrior, but yet, a few people only trusted this outsider's skill. Well, it was surely expected, because the man he was supposed to fight was the supposed to be 'strongest' out of all in the town.

A random onlooker tossed a sheathed sword on the cloaked figure's direction. A hand shot up, seizing it deftly. The section of the cloth that covered the stranger's arm slithered down, revealing a fine stretch of porcelain-like skin. He grasped the sword by the hilt and pulled it, and tossed the scabbard back.

The sword was new, the blade gleaming the crowd's reflection. He positioned the weapon parallel to his body, as he took a fighting stance.

A ragged looking man that was once engulfed into the crowds staggered forward. His constant swaying and blood-shot eyes told all that he was drunk. Not to mention that he reeked with the strong smell of sake. Raising a calloused hand, he said,

" Let the fight commence!" he shouted, as his hand fell from its position into a cutting motion.

With a battle cry, the armored fighter attacked, only to have his weapon blocked easily.

* * *

A man in his early twenties stood quite impatiently infront of the doorway of his house. Once in a while he would tap his foot against the floor, sometimes taking glances at the clock tower, which was conveniently visible in this side of town.

3:29.

_**Where in the world is that girl! **_

He watched with narrowed emerald orbs as the longest hand of the clock started to tick away its remaining seconds. He was much like an awaiting time bomb, with the intent to explode in an intended time. Right now, it will only take seconds for him to finally erupt…

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

0.

" SAKURA, YOU IDIOT, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING AT!" he bellowed, startling the passers-by around him near to death.

* * *

The heavily armored man had his back bent forward, one knee knelt on the stony ground, and his sword nearly imbedded on the flooring, using the weapon for support. Though it was not clearly visible, his continuous grunts and fast-paced breathing told all that he had difficulty in breathing. His metal armor was nothing but a piece of scrap metal by now, and it possessed such numerous slashes and scratches. The metal vest covering his chest was blasted inward, because of the powerful punch kick (1) that landed on his upper torso. His metal head gear had also been pushed in on the side, when the cloaked stranger had quickly executed a roundhouse kick (2)that knocked him out or a good 30 seconds, just a while ago. Luckily, he was able to pull back into consciousness before he was already eliminated.

The other stood on his own corner, his sword gripped by one hand, which was positioned in his side. With a flash of red, the cloaked one stood before him, looking down at his prone form. He stiffened severely when he felt the others presence infront of him. Not only that, but with so much speed?

His knuckles turning ghostly pallid, his hand automatically clutched his sword tighter. With a strangled cry he was about to thrust his sword up to his opponent's neck, but he found he was unable to move. He felt the cold tip of a sword touching the back of his neck lightly, though he could feel it push itself little by little into the surface of his skin. Apparently, the unknown fighter had avoided his thrust by turning around to his side with such grace, his cloth billowing behind him elegantly. It was then that he brought his blade on his flesh, which led the armored man into this predicament.

The drunken 'referee' analyzed the situation, and shouted out, " We have a new champion!" with this, most of the crowd groaned with the loss, for it also meant losing most of their gambled money as well. A few cheered noisily. " The winner, uh… what's your name again?" he called to the man in red, scratching his bald spot carelessly.

He tossed his sword to one side and brought one hand to the other fighter's face. With a forceful tug, the metal helmet detached from its owner's head along with the cloth, revealing a swollen cheek, a thick black ring that surrounded one eye, and a nasty lump on one side of the head. He looked pretty dazed out (not to mention repulsive), slightly swaying from his position. The victor smirked in satisfaction.

He lifted a finger and hooked it into his white mask, as it peeled off his face. Seizing the hood with an unused hand, he pulled the top downward, at last, revealing his face. Long locks of roseate hair twirled away, as sparkling emerald orbs looked back at their flabbergasted expressions. She smiled playfully at them.

" Haruno Sakura." She answered.

" IT'S A GIRL!" a random onlooker shouted in surprise.

" THAT'S JUST ABSURD!"

" WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABSURD, THAT'S SO COOL!"

" YEAH, SHE'S LIKE SOME SUPER HERO!"

" Oh god… I'll do anything to be his boyfriend…"

" Keep dreaming dork, I'll be his boyfriend!"

" Shut up, ass-face, you forgot I'm the pretty boy in here!"

" SAAAAAAAAAAAKUUUUUUUURAAAAAAAAAAA!" a voice growled from her behind her.

Turning around, the said girl met the angry form of a man, who was a head taller than her. Instead of cowering at his unusually furious behavior, she broke into a cute grin, and said,

" Rei, Rei, Rei! I won! I won the pretty trophy, you dork—" she squealed jovially, jumping up and down, her pink, waist-long tresses bobbing up and down with her.

" WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'DORK'! I'M YOUR OLDER BROTHER, YOU DISRESPECTFUL H—" he bellowed, spit flying and all.

She quickly dodged the onslaught of saliva, and then continued her little speech. " You should have seen it! I kicked his ass so hard it knocked him back to his kiddy years."

The man growled. That was not what he wanted. He never intended to get whopped on, by a **girl**, more to that! What in the world would the other warriors thin of him, a weak push-over? And the comment just made it all worse than expected. " Why you little bitch! Get your ass over here and I'll give you some real beating—"

Rei's equally emerald eyes flashed dangerously, as his head snapped up with the comment. His tousled night-blue hair bounced with the sudden movement. " Say that again and be ready to die, you shit head bastard." A piece of pebble was being trapped between two of his calloused fingers.

" You ain't nothing but a weak piece of—" the man's words were cut abruptly when he felt something imbed itself into the juncture where his collarbones met, bringing forth extreme pain in the lower throat. The joint was completely exposed, for Sakura already wrecked the piece of metal earlier within their match. He ended up coughing on the ground, his hand trying to will away the pain by massaging it continuously.

" Were going home." He said firmly to sister, who nodded silently.

When the town square was no longer in sight, she let out a tired sigh. The surroundings became less crowded, for they were heading back to the more serene parts of the town. The noise-filled stalls and stands were slowly transformed into small cottage houses, the streets filled with kids running around. Sakura stared idly at the nearby lamp post that flickered its light, as if winking at them.

" Sakura, you are so in trouble you midget—Oof!—DAMN IT! WHAT—" Rei felt a light body weigh him down, a pair of small arms lightly wrapping themselves around his neck. He heard his sister stifle a small yawn, as she slumped her head onto his back.

She yawned once more. " I'm tired, niisan… can you carry me home?" she asked hopefully, peeking above his shoulder.

At first, he looked doubtful (which was a clearly a fake expression), but then he broke into a soft smile. " Sure. Although this one's the last time you midget." He teased, slipping his arms under her legs.

" Thanks a lot, dork…" she whispered, as she contentedly closed her eyes, her dreams claiming her instantly.

* * *

" Come on, otouto, you gotta do better than that!" a mature voice taunted jokingly, his tone of voice full of mirth.

But it seemed that the other was not at all happy with all the jeers being thrown at his direction. " Shut up, Itachi!" he growled, as he once again thrusted his sword in the other one's throat, only to be blocked quickly.

" Now, now, Sasuke, no need to be all angsty. You can't take a joke, can't you, you little twerp?" the older of the two asked him, chuckling softly when he saw his younger brother react with the old childhood nickname he used to use all the time.

" **Shut up**, Itachi!" the younger one growled once more, feinting to his left, bringing up Itachi's defense. He then swerved to the right, as he slipped the sword right under his brother's chin, parallel to his throat.

" Well, at least I know you've been practicing." Itachi said, amused by Sasuke's sudden boost of skills. He dropped his sword onto the ground, as it clung to the ground with a soft 'thump'. Sasuke instead sat on the grassy land, his breaths becoming more and more stable. He watched the sun dip itself into the horizon, mixing a soft orange with the light blue of the sky. Soon enough, Itachi joined him, as he eyed Sasuke's sword with interest.

" You used it?" Itachi asked, running a finger on the surface of the gleaming sword.

Sasuke nodded briefly, " I thought I should at least get used to it."

The young Uchiha's gaze swept through the bright jewels that were imbedded on its metal surface, the delicate carvings that adorned the hilt. His father had given the sword to him as a birthday gift when he turned fourteen. Sasuke knew his father had a hobby of giving gifts of great value. It was all part of governing the whole country by himself. Sasuke ran a finger on his family's crest, the traditional fan. Simple, yet extremely complex in meaning. Just like the two princes of the whole kingdom. They appear to be simple creatures, but their personalities are simply too intricate.

Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke. Both are legally heirs to the throne, though only one can be pronounced as the king of all Konoha. Both are extremely alike in physical aspects, though they have very different personalities.

Itachi was clearly defined in one word: gorgeous. He was in his early twenties. His jet-black eyes can see through almost anybody's façade, it reads through emotions like an open book. His long tresses were brought together in a low ponytail, while some unruly bangs fell around to frame his angular face. His pale skin contrasted the color of his eyes.

Sasuke was like a younger version of his older brother. Fifteen years of age. His raven hair, as funny as it seemed, was sticking out into different angles, a few bangs framing his face. His image of course still held that boyish qualities. His onyx orbs glimmered like dark jewels, though most of the time, it held a cold glare.

But Itachi smiled a bit more. Sasuke was more comfortable on putting up a stoic face, and never smiled at anyone. But everyone was sure that when he did, it will melt everyone's eyes out.

Something that is similar to both is their expertise in fighting. Both handles weapons very well, and they posses the knowledge of most arts. They were regarded as the most powerful in all the land. Both shared a brotherly bond with one another, though it consisted mostly of bickering and taunting. They knew that was the only extent of their brotherhood, but they were satisfied with that.

But let's go to a much more hilarious side of their life. Both posses such great looks and talents that girls are magnetized into both. It was like this: the female population was divided only into three: girls who worship both princes, girls who worship other guys, and girls who worship none at all. The most numerous among the three divisions were of course, those who admire the two royal bloods. Then comes the girls who had other guys in mind, though most of belonged to the royal army. The group of anti-worshippers was not really taken account, for their number was only rounded off into a prick.

The two really had no eyes for women, though Itachi had given a few compliments to a few. Sasuke was completely ignoring their existence. He treated them as if they were chickens that only lived for a years, then they would eventually die on a butcher's hands. He believed that their purpose in life is to do chores, and that's it. Well, he never really met a woman that fought for something else other than cosmetic products. Even her mother, the queen never, had the time to learn any fighting skills. So with that, he was bored.

They felt a familiar presence approach them. Itachi spoke, " Kakashi, do they need us back in the palace?"

The masked man with stacked up sliver mane answered, " Yes, Itachi-sama. The king asked for a meeting with the army, along with the two heirs."

" You really do a great job of leading the royal army. I never thought a pervert like you would do it so easily." Sasuke commented, smirking at him.

Both saw a crease forming on the surface of his dark mask. He was smiling. " Well, Sasuke-sama, reading R-rated novels helps me a lot with my job." He answered nonchalantly. " That's why I'm the army's captain."

" Good one, Kakashi." Itachi said, pretty much amused by his answer.

" Pervert." Sasuke muttered, as he stood up and made his way towards the palace.

* * *

**A/n** chapter one is done! It was, I admit, very tiring to write. I hope you enjoyed this fic. No sasuke x sakura interaction in this chapter, I'm really sorry. Next time, maybe? But not that soon.

(1) punch kick- its somewhat like a kick forward, it aims on the stomach, and the heel is the one that kicks, not the surface.

(2) roundhouse kick- a kick to the head. much like the 45 degree kick, only higher.

Please read! (and review, if you ever have the time)

_ang3Lix._


	2. 02 Territorial problems

**Disclaimer**: lawyers are such suckers… and so, I don't own Naruto. So go away! (flings tomato at policeman)

**A/n** thanks a lot for the reviews! I'm glad you liked it. I realized… Naruto is so cute! I may be a bit late on that, but you know lazy people… and, sorry for the late update! School is finally here, and studies comes first, right?

Enjoy, yall!

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**A bunch of thanks to**: Slytherin prince, Snow wind, krista, Doctor Meowzie, animelious, Anime Senko, nixxie1430, iluvsasuke, cocoa-latte, ori, shy-lil-dreamer, iluvanime493, December jewel, animEvivvErz, trigemini, ang3L-blue, neu chi ho naiu (thanks for reeadin y other stories!)

**iluvanime493**, soon enough, you will see the reason why Kakashi cannot save our little trotting Uchiha runt!

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**Summary**: The prince of Konoha was taken captive of an opposing country. Not one knight in the royal army was worthy of retrieving the hostage. But it seemed that they found a strong warrior in a simple peasant. But wait… she's a girl! (sasuke x sakura)

* * *

**By the Sword**

By: ang3Lix

Chapter title: **territorial problems

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**

" Come out, Rei!" she called from a distance.

Her small smirk fell into a sullen frown. Being her older brother, Rei knew that Sakura never liked stealth in combat. She liked close-ranged fighting, thrashing head on with the opponent. Having her wait for him to appear was a big advantage.

" Reeeeeeeei! This isn't hide and seek, you dork!" she shouted, her one hand cupping the side of her mouth, hoping that her voice can be carried all the way to where he was. Her other hand gripped the hilt of her weapon. When she received no reply of any sort, she pouted childishly. Thrusting the sword deep into the soft soil, she settled on the grassy land, her arm supporting her body.

The sky bursted of a soft yellow color, as the sun neared its setting. She had always admired the soft tinges of the sky during this time of the day. Sakura sighed. She reached out her fingers to tuck away some stubborn strands of petal-like hair. Settling her hand back, her touch came upon a fairly-sized dent on the ground. Out of curiosity, she turned her head to where it was, and saw a small, yet narrow gap on the earth. It was very familiar to her.

_**Somebody must have jabbed a sword in this spot… but who?**_

She knew it wasn't possible for both Rei and herself to produce that kind of hole with their swords. Their swords were dull and worn out, and pieces of metal had already been chipped off the blade, due to its constant use. It should have produced a rougher kind of dent on the soil. But in this case… the weapon used was sure to be new.

_**Somebody had been training in our lands… **_

This part of the town was known to be in the Haruno family's possession. Sakura never knew how her family, who barely had any money, managed to get a vast piece of land such as this.

It was a wide stretch of grassy land. A variety of flowers blossomed at every corner, while during the dusk; they had an amazing view of the setting sun. Sakura and Rei would spent their time together, whether it be training or just hanging out, before he would go to the village streets and meet his friends.

Her family was a very simple one. Simple, yet very happy. Sakura lived on a small house, enough for her family to settle in. Her mother, Haruno Yukari, had the responsibility of doing household chores, while once in a while, both Rei and Sakura would help her around the house. Yukari was calm and collected, what a mother was supposed to act like. She cleaned, she cooked, she sewed, and she knitted. She was a pure woman at heart.

Sakura's father, Haruno Daisuke, had already passed away when Rei was eight years old, while she was one. She never knew anything about her father personally, for she was not at the right age to even talk straight sentences when he died. Rei was a mother's boy. All she knew was that Kiriko taught Rei a lot about what he knew about fighting with weapons. She was aware Rei knew some details, but he never shared it with her. Her mother simply didn't want to talk about the whole ordeal.

While Rei was attached more to their mother, many men who knew Daisuke told Sakura that she was just like him: fiery and full of energy. Her physical aspects may have come from Yukari, but her attitude was sure to be her father's.

Rei taught her about handling the sword with their father's teachings. At first, Rei never knew that Sakura had an immense liking on fighting. So when he began tutoring her, he was positively amazed at how she excelled in the art of swordsmanship. She improved a great deal, sometimes with the Rei's help, but most by herself.

It was only now that Rei discovered Sakura's interests in joining 'tournaments' such as the one yesterday. She just loved beating her opponent into a pulp, then winning, then surprising everybody by revealing her true gender. As an older brother, Rei hated it when Sakura goes off doing things that he didn't know. But as a normal, level-headed person, he honestly admired her for doing so. Rei never told their mother about these things Sakura did. She already promised not to do it again, and he trusted her. But really, he thought wearing a mask and an over-sized cloak was enough for Yukari to rampage on how Sakura was dressed so unwomanly.

Only in a mere three seconds did she feel a lingering presence behind her.

Grabbing her sword by the handle, Sakura brought the blade infront of her, blocking the thundering strike. She winced at the force used by the man. She was sure he wasn't Rei, for his brother wouldn't have exerted too much energy on practices like these. So now, she had an official opponent, and an official match.

_**Right on time! I was about to get bored by waiting for Rei to come out.**_

" Hey, you, little girly, watcha' doin' here? Dontcha' know this lands is Sasuke-sama's? " the man, who looked much like one of the soldiers in the royal army, drawled at her, which startled Sakura immensely. His sword was now positioned upon his shoulder, and he was chewing a piece of bubblegum.

Her small grin turned into a furious frown. She did not know what the jack ass was talking about, because first of all, she perfectly knew that her family owned this land. And second, she did not know who this 'Sasuke-sama' is! She did not give a rat's ass to anyone treated so superiorly. She did not have the time worshipping the ground they stood on. Third, he just called her 'little girly', which was not in her vocabulary.

" What do you mean, 'Sasuke-sama's' private lands? My family owns this place!" she retorted with the same aggression, which made the soldier stumble a few steps backward.

" Oi, girly, dontcha' know? Sasuke-sama already owns this part of town! He's takin' a li'l stroll later, ya hear? So scram!" he continued, shooing her away. Sakura herself was not new on that feeling of being shoved. And she did not like it. " And if ya don't, I'll have to use force." A smirk now occupied his round face.

Aah, yes… this soldier is soon to be turned into a very poor soul. Didn't he know? Among all villages in all Konoha, this town is considered as the simplest. Yes, the simplest, and that was the reason why many boys have been trained in the art of fighting. It was to make up for their lack of grace. But, no one knew that there are also certain families who trained their daughters into swordsmanship and such. That is why there are women in this part of town that are simply untouchable. And Sakura was one of them.

Walking a few steps closer, his hand shot out of his side and gripped her chin, tilting her face side to side. " You're really cute. How about you and I go on a da—" his words were interrupted quite rudely when a fist collided with his jaw, temporarily unhinging it a couple of centimeters. The muscles around the area bloated upon the impact, sending him about a few feet away, his back colliding against the ground. She did not even bother with the sword.

A seething Sakura was what he met as he tried to get up gingerly.

" LISTEN. UP." She commanded in a deadly tone. " I. DO. NOT. GO. ON. DATES."

His curses came out muffled against his swelling muscles. Raising a hand, he forcefully swung it downwards. As he did so, ten of the same clothed men appeared out of the thick clumps of trees, surrounding her instantly.

" Die, bitch!" He shouted, earning him a pivoting jolt of pain at his jaw area.

Sakura felt excitement bubbling somewhere inside of her. " Okay, before I 'die'," she did a quotation mark with her fingers, " Let me do one thing first."

" Ha! Go on, go scream for help if ya want!" he shouted, bursting in arrogant laughter. She can see that injured piece of flesh look nastier by the second.

" One more thing, mister?" She answered back, a small smirk fixated on her lips. " I don't scream."

The fallen man blinked up in confusion. Sakura crammed her hand into the pocket of her dust-infested skirt, searching for something. She then pulled out an ivory white mask, very similar to the one she used on the tournament. Slipping the mask on, she straightened out her position.

" There!" she chirped happily, " I don't really like fighting in public…" She reached out for her sword—

Sakura felt the presence of her upcoming attacker on her right side. Growling menacingly, she side-stepped, and landed a powerful kick in the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. She quickly grabbed her sword from the ground, as she surveyed the unconscious man lying on a heap beside her.

" Oh great, I have to fight snotty little cheaters! This is sooo lame!" she groaned out, scratching her mop of pink hair. Apparently, this statement about 'snotty little cheaters', and her knocking out one of their comrades, angered them all. With that, they charged at her at the same time.

" So, you're attacking at the same time?" she questioned. Positioning her sword infront of her, the pink-haired girl grinned childishly. " No problem!"

* * *

_**Flashback…**_

In someone else's point of view, this room was vast. The high ceiling and wide area of space was enough proof for that. A long table stretched from one end to another, where several men where seated. A tall stained-glass window was situated on the front wall, where the sun's soft rays passed through, creating a myriad of colors. The velvet curtains that covered the porthole were tied together. A cloth in the shade of crimson and onyx bore the symbol of Konoha, which was hanging on one wall.

This room was the assembly chamber. Every time there were matters to be discussed, the king sends for the knights of the royal army, and of course, the queen and the two princes of the country.

So far, Shizuke-sama was already present, sitting on a far end of the table. Beside him was Queen Suzuki, who sat beside her husband. The knights of the royal army sat on their respective places, as they waited for the last three to arrive. Among all the soldiers in the army, these men are the most elite of them all, not to mention exceptionally gifted in their abilities in warfare. Most of them are in their early twenties. But what was more amusing, was there were also a handful of fifteen year olds that managed to grasp one of the top positions in the circle. Six of them, to be exact.

A load groan of boredom erupted from one of the group.

His cerulean orbs were hazed by a thin layer of idle, his golden hair came up as spikes on his head. Groaning once more, he lifted his two feet and settled it on the surface of the wooden table with a loud 'bang'.

" You should not have sent Kakashi to fetch those two bastard brothers! All of Konoha knows about his tardiness **_and_ **lame excuses!" he shouted angrily, pointing a finger at the King.

" Naruto, you idiot, stop that." another boy hissed from his seat, his clear pearly eyes flashing dangerously.

Naruto stuck his tongue out. " Shut up, Neji!"

Of course, all people knew about this hyperactive boy. Uzumaki Naruto was one of the younger members of the circle. Yes, he may act like an over-sized five year old, but you should not judge him by only that. He possesses great power, and like all men in the room, he also had the dexterity in his fighting skills. He may be dull, but surely not weak.

" Kakashi should be here any minute, I'm sure." The King told all of them loudly.

There was a loud gurgle, and it came from Naruto's stomach. He groaned once again, massaging his aching belly. " I really need to eat. Really badly."

" Stop complaining dobe, it's your fault you got an endless pit for a stomach." Someone along the doorway sneered at the blond.

Naruto took his attention away from food and to the person on leaning on the door. " Took you long enough, bastard!"

Sasuke simply grunted, then took his seat beside him. Itachi soon followed his lead, taking his place across his younger sibling. " Good afternoon, father." Itachi greeted.

Shizuke nodded in acknowledgement. He paused for a while, his sight directed to his younger son. The king thought maybe a simple greeting from the boy may be a bit appropriate. But Sasuke sat there, trying to glare holes on his shoes. Heaving a soft sigh, he intertwined his fingers with its twins, placing it against the surface of the table.

" I assume you have all heard about the Sound country's dire intentions towards Konoha." The King started in a firm tone. It came to all of their attention that this was not a laughing matter.

" I, along many advisers, have been thinking about one thing for the past days. Of what the extent of these intentions is. I know you are all aware that Oto and Konoha had formed a great rivalry in almost anything, and that is what I fear. I am starting to think that Sound will perform something more complicated than trying to beat us in everything."

Sasuke snorted. " Like they have ever beaten Konoha in anything. That snake king of theirs should just back off before he gets whopped on."

Naruto shivered in the prospect of the ruler of the opposing country. " That Oro dude is freaking me out. He's just… freaky."

Another fifteen year old decided to join the conversation. What were prominent in his features were the red markings in his cheeks. " Yeah, he's a sick deranged bastard, that's what he is." He said dully, propping his elbow in the arm of his chair.

" And so, before Kiba give off any more curses," the King shot the boy a sharp look, " I want the army to be prepared. Make sure every single person in Konoha doesn't get in danger. Set a defense force at Konoha's gates. A group of soldiers will patrol the whole village nightly. Now, of course, the knights should have some kind of job to do as well."

" Troublesome…" a boy in a lazy position sighed, his hair tied up in a high ponytail.

Ignoring the comment, Shizuke continued. " There is only one simple task I have for you all. Check every single village. Make sure everything's under control, and if still attainable, gather more men to join our forces. We do not want to be outnumbered. There are only five villages under Konoha, and I do know this will not take too much of your energy. Am I understood?" he said sternly.

" Yes, Shizuke-sama." They all murmured at the same time. Only Itachi and Sasuke remained silent.

" What do you need us for?" the younger of the two asked, clearly irritated.

The King stared at him for a few seconds. " Oh, yes, of course." Shizuke murmured. He was indeed getting old… his memory was getting worse.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. It was a pretty pathetic thing to do, especially for the king.

" I want you two to be escorted in every place you go." Shizuke stated. It sounded more of a command, which he had every right to do.

Sasuke's dark orbs narrowed at this. What was he, some kind of weakling that didn't know how to protect himself? He was clearly capable of doing so! Hasn't his father even watched one of his training sessions? He was a **prodigy** in battling; he can take out ten men in a single straight attack. Having bodyguards will shatter his ego into bits.

Itachi, on the other hand, was calm at the outside. But when you get into his thoughts… it was holding warfare. Damn it, he was already in his twenties. He wasn't a mere kid holding a toy sword. He had the skills to protect himself; he was much like a fighting god. What in the world was going on with his father? Was he not thinking seriously?

" What?" Sasuke hissed.

" Sound will do anything. They are formidable, they use stealth. They do not care about fighting fairly. They sabotage, Sasuke! They might come for you and your brother!" Shizuke snapped. He was displeased with the reaction he received.

" Father, do you really think we cannot protect ourselves?" Itachi questioned curtly. He too was against this idea, though he fully understood his father's intentions.

Shizuke sighed. " You two are entitled to be the next ruler of this land. But only one of you can be king. But still, I cannot risk the lives of my only sons. Especially if I lose them in pure carelessness. You all are dismissed."

* * *

The only man standing was trembling with fright. He just witnessed his comrades being beaten into a bloody heap. She didn't even used her sword! No stabbing or any of such. She just used her weapon for defensive purposes. He was quite sure that thirty-two seconds had passed with him standing in the background. It only took that pink-haired girl thirty-two seconds to take out all her opponents. He could almost faint. The man held his sword firmly, the blade shaking with his tremulous movements. He tried putting up a braver expression, but he felt as if she already knew what he really felt. Scared.

Sakura stared blankly at the man before her. She can only watch him drop his sword on the ground. He raised his arms up in defeat. She sighed. " Look here, mister, just tell me who this Sasuke is. Right now."

His words came out like a fast-forwarded song. " He's the prince of Konoha he took this land away from your family he's heading here this very instant please don't hurt me—"

Her emerald eyes narrowed in aggression. She felt anger surging through her body in an instant. " Did you just say… he took our lands away? From my mother?" she asked in a deadly tone that made the man want to wet himself.

He nodded nervously.

" As in… took it without any consent?"

Another nervous nod.

" And he's heading towards this place?" she asked yet again.

He nodded once again.

Sakura took one last stare at the man, as pity drove into her system. She was not merciless, after all. Yes, Sakura was tough, fiery and energetic, but she also has compassion stacked up inside of her. " Okay. Just… go hide in the bushes or something."

With a relieved sigh, he bowed down deeply, muttering words of gratitude. He immediately ran to the opposite direction as fast as his short legs can, not even taking a look back. He dove into a random bush. Unfortunately, the clump was infested with thorns. Sakura quickly ignored the yelp that issued from the shrub.

Sakura reached for her sword and scabbard, which lay haphazardly onto the grass. Unsheathing her weapon, she picked up the brown clothing and shrouded the metal, protecting it from prying eyes. With the final adjustments done, she trudged towards the other end of the land, where a cobble-stoned path led her to the village streets. It was a simple shortcut. Bro or no bro, she's going.

She had a little meeting to attend to.

And Sakura was making sure that she will be getting back what her family originally owned. Who ever that ass-faced Sasuke was, he should get his ass up and out of the way before she really gets furious. Sakura was known to throw one of the most dangerous tantrums in the village. And it came with a lot of mad sword-swinging.

_You messed with the wrong family, you ass-faced royalty!_

_**What are you, an idiot? That 'ass-faced royalty' you are referring to is the prince of Konoha! And he knows how to kick major asses!**_

_You forgot, _Sakura retorted to her second personality,_ I can too._

_**Oh yeah… well, go for it!

* * *

**_

In one street of the village, heaps of girls were squealing in pure delight. They came in all kinds, tall, fat, short, beautiful, ugly. And they were everywhere.

A dark-haired teen contorted his face in a frown of disgust. That was the only major drawback with the land he now owned. It was located inside a village, and villages had the creatures he despised most: girls. They were something that was labeled as desperate. They cling to him; they squeal for him, they even beg for him! It was not one of the fanciest thing to ever happen. It was one of the worse.

Add the bodyguards trailing him behind, then hell has officially taken over his life.

" Must be tough, huh, bastard?" Naruto asked from his side, watching every girl emit high-pitched shrieks as they crossed their paths. " All of them having the hots for you."

Sasuke grunted a yes. No way would he speak up in this kind of environment. Had these people ever heard of personal privacy?

" I mean," Naruto continued, " What's so great about **you** anyway? Have you ever tried talking? No. It's a really major flaw, and these people are not seeing it as I do! And you never really laughed, or smiled even—"

Sasuke had heard enough. " Shut up, dobe!" he growled out, whacking him hard in the head.

" Ow! Damn it, Sasuke, you're such a bastard!" Naruto complained, rubbing the throbbing spot.

Naruto was one of the few persons that the younger prince trusted. Not only was he a knight in the royal army, he was also the tough rival-cross-best friend of the equally tough Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto had already memorized the prince in everyway. He knew what he hates and what he likes. He knew what annoys him, because he himself was at the top of the very long list. He knew every reaction to every statement. An in turn, Sasuke also knew all the things about him too. In other words, they were much like brothers.

" Anyway, the land you're talking about, I thought it was owned by one of the families in this village?"

" I took it." Sasuke answered simply, effectively ignoring the rampaging crowd.

" You can't just 'take it'! Someone owns it; you have to pay them or something!" Naruto shouted at him. " It's like you're stealing it, you know."

Sasuke snorted. " Don't be stupid, dobe. I wanted to buy it, but the soldiers told me that the woman wouldn't sell it to them. So I stripped the title off their possession."

With that explanation, it even enraged the blond more. " YOU ARE SUCH A BASTARD-THIEF! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU—"

All the other did was shrug indifferently. " It's not as if someone's using it. Maybe the family's not using it for anything."

Naruto breathed in and out, trying to calm down his rage in a good manner. Sometimes, he just had to take it out on something, or even somebody. " You better be sure about that. What made you want to buy it, anyway? Your father owns a lot of lands."

" Training."

" I know it's not just 'training', you bastard. You can train nearly everywhere. There must be something good about it…"

" Just shut up, dobe, we're almost there." Sasuke said, cramming his hands into his pockets. " You're telling me off as if someone's coming after me. Who will stand up to me anyway? They'll just cower the moment they meet me face to face."

Obviously, our little prince hadn't met a certain pink-haired peasant. But, no worries, he soon will.

Very, very soon.

* * *

A boy in his twenties poked his head out of the clump of leaves gathered on a tree branch. Rei couldn't hear any more angered shouts coming from the valley where he left his Sakura. Instead, a moan of pain erupted from a distance. His brain linked everything slowly… then he reacted. Completely exposing himself out from the leaves, he stood up, strapping his sword on his back.

But there was a creaking sound somewhere…

In a split second, the branch Rei was standing on detached itself completely from its tree, bringing the boy down with him. Twisting in mid air, he landed on the soft ground with a soft 'thump', creating two deep shoe prints.

**_Sakura… what the heck are you up to?_**

Springing out of his crouched position, he immediately made his way towards the bright clearing ahead of him.

But what met him wasn't really that expected. A heap of battered bodies sat on the ground. One by one, the men crawled off of each other, slumping down the cool grass. Rei walked towards one, inspecting his injuries carefully. Just a few major ones, but scratches and bruises adorned each body.

Knowing that they were impossible to interrogate, Rei turned to one of the quivering bushes. He raised a curious brow. Not only quivering, but… whimpering?

Dunking his hand into the shrub, he felt small thorns pricking his arm in an instant. He ignored the pain and searched for the able-bodied man beneath it. Finally, he got hold of a scrap of metal, which he knew was armor. Rei pulled it up, and with it came one of the soldiers in the army. He was covered with small gashes and scratches, probably from the thorns. Aside from that, he was completely unharmed.

The man stared into his emerald green eyes.

" You." Rei commanded. " What did you do to my sister?"

After that question, the man fell into a dead faint. Rei stared blankly at the unconscious body, deadpanned. He pulled the soldier up until he wasn't in the thorny bush's reach, and laid him a bit roughly onto a patch of green land.

Rei sat down and began to think. He was aware that Sakura wouldn't do anything this irrational if not provoked. It was already a clear fact that these soldiers must have triggered her anger. Her sister never had any bloodlust. She trained to protect, not to kill. And judging by the injuries of most men, she didn't even use a sword. So that was a good thing.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud albeit muffled cursing. He turned his head to the direction, and saw a man heaving himself up, trying to stand up. He was surely failing, and every time he tried to get himself up, he staggers and falls on his backside. It went on and on and on…

The man gasped audibly when he saw Rei infront of him in a mere second. His mouth began to open and close, though no words came out due to his astonishment.

" You." Rei commanded once again. " What did you do to my sister?"

But he received a different reaction than the one a while ago. No, not a dead faint, but an angry hiss.

" That bitch?" Rei struggled not to bash the man in the head. " She was trespassing in Sasuke-sama's private lands, and even told me that it was her turf! I even told her she was cute, I didn't know what came into me! She should be thrilled that someone like me, a man of sense, asked her out! She's a big sl—"

The soldier didn't even had the chance to finish his speech, for he received a big blow in the head, knocking him out. His body skidded along the ground, making him look more grimy than ever.

**_He should not have asked Sakura on a date. _**Rei thought, pitying the man even more. **_She doesn't go on one._**

With that he stood up, dusted his pants, and walked away.

He'll be meeting Sakura back home.

* * *

**A/n** Sorry for the late update! But it is kinda long, so I hope that satisfied you all… school is soon starting, so updates may be a bit delayed. I am very sorry for the inconvenience! So, that's finished. Hope it didn't came out badly…

Anyway, I would like to clear out something about the 'knight' thing. The royal army is made up of soldiers, obviously. But the men who had a more advanced kind of capability were promoted into a knight. Though in most situations, soldiers are promoted into knights if they do a noble deed or something… but I wanted it to be in strength, because it helps the plot more.

Please read! (and review, if you have time)

_ang3Lix. _


	3. 03 Confronting the evil asshole

**By the Sword **

BY: ang3Lix

CHAPTER: _confronting the evil asshole_

* * *

Hello guys, just wanna remind you that the author's notes are found at the bottom of the page, okay? Really important, so please read. Thank you! Enjoy y'all!

* * *

" You!" a female baritone yelled behind him, " Don't you dare take another step!" 

The younger prince of Konoha stiffened at the command. Were women in this village supposed to be aggressive and impertinent? He was uncertain of what females acted in this part of town. But he had no second thoughts that this one is far from being effeminate.

Sasuke, being the egocentric person that he really was, ignored the holler that inhabited the streets. As both him and Naruto trudged through the cobble-stoned road, his best friend nudged him sharply on the ribs.

" Oi, Sasuke, I think the girl is calling after you." He stated, his voice a notch above a whisper.

" I don't care." The sable haired juvenile said simply, his statement sounding more like an irritated scoff.

* * *

Sakura watched as the two continued their walk, not even taking a small look back. Snarling vehemently, she trudged angrily to a nearby food stall. Scooping handfuls of what it seemed like white oval things, she gave her promise of full payment to the vendor by tomorrow. 

By the time she was back on her current position moments ago, a small smirk already inhabited her pinkish lips.

Cradling the rest of the makeshift projectiles on one arm, she carefully took one within her delicate fingers.

Without even a mere blink, she threw it in the air, caught it once more, and hurled it straight to a person's head.

Without further mumblings or catchy phrases, she continued raining the man with her improvised grenades.

* * *

" Oh well, you never cared about anything," Naruto sighed, placing his arms behind is yellow, spiked up head, " so why start now?" 

" 'Never thought you'd be that smart to realize." The young Uchiha jeered, smirking his all too famous sneer.

Of course, Naruto would be likely to retaliate with a smart and kick-ass comment. But who would have thought someone else had beaten him to it? Not to mention that person's comeback remark was much, much better than his could have been.

_**SPLAT!**_

A thick, slimy concoction slid down the prince's head, dripping sloppily into his clothing. White eggshells came along with it, some tangling with his jet-black tendrils.

Even before Naruto can open his slightly parted mouth to snicker at his rival-slash-best friend, he barely saw several more of these temporary bullets raining down on both of them. Lifting his arms to cover his head, he felt the things smash against his clothing.

When the torrent of eggs finally ceased, Naruto peeked slowly from his folded arms, a single cerulean orb popped open.

" HEY! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" he then protested, picking away eggshells from his garb. " … but she has an AWESOME aim!" Naruto started to cheer, obviously back to his jovial self.

The female responsible for the messy volley walked to where both boys stood. Sticking out her tongue playfully at them, she said, " That's for not stopping, you dumb asses."

" And she has a colorful vocabulary!" Naruto added, " Cool! What's your name?"

Ignoring the question, Sakura glowered at the brooding royalty before her. " Give me back my family's land." She ordered firmly, her tone of voice dropping dangerously low.

Snorting, Sasuke responded so simply, " No. And do I know you?"

" Well, you do now!" she yelled, her left leg boosting up by mere reflex, attempting to deliver a 45 degree kick on his midsection.

Unfortunately for the Haruno girl, five men in heavy metal armor came out of their hidden positions, four of them surrounding her, while the last blocked the kick for Sasuke. Truth be told, he was pretty much displeased by their appearance.

" No one harms the prince." The soldier before her muttered, sliding his sword out of his sheath. " The punishment for attempting is most severe."

" You guys again!" Sakura asked indecorously, seeing the same armoring and wielded logo in the metal covering one of their shoulders. " He's the prince?" she added curiously.

" You… you mean you don't know!" Naruto asked, flabbergasted at the recent discovery.

Shrugging in an indifferent manner, she reasoned, " I didn't care. And still not caring."

She easily felt the swift movement of the soldier behind her. She tried ducking, but the moment she twisted her body to evade the punch, Sakura felt a stinging sensation on her midriff. The man's fist barely singed her cheeks, and followed it up with a hard jab in the stomach. Stumbling back a few steps, Sakura side-stepped to dodge the unsheathed weapon her adversary thrusted in her direction.

The girl once again felt the same sensation burn her lower torso. Clinching her teeth together, she quickly disregarded the ache. In a fluid motion Sakura rapidly dropped into one knee and sent a rigid stab on his stomach using the handle of her sword. Apparently, she was quick enough the pull her weapon out, which was strapped on her back a while ago.

While she watched her opponent stumble back and struggling for breaths, she went to work with the other four. Blocking the sword that made a beeline for her neck, the warrior standing on her front received a kick straight on his jugular, his armor digging a little onto his flesh.

People began to form crowds around them, eager to see the outcome of the brawl.

" WOW! SHE'S TOTALLY AWESOME!" Naruto yelled in excitement, jumping up and down. " GO GIRLY! GO GIRLY! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!"

" DON'T CALL ME GIRLY!" Sakura nearly choked out, easily discarding her third adversary.

Sasuke watched both in utter shock and amusement. _A very interesting girl…_

Only two more left then. Both were standing, one before her and one behind her back, their swords drawn out. Without much of a glance behind her, she flipped her weapon, so that the handle of the sword was directed rearward. In one smooth move, she sent the sword handle-first to the combatant behind her, and ducked to evade the sword swinging for her neck. She was satisfied with the crash of metal-to-metal collision that took place; when her sword made contact with her enemy. Performing a accurate leg sweep, the last fighter hit the ground with a dull thud. His headgear rolled off towards the surrounding crowd.

Sakura roughly took his hand, twisted his wrist until his blade came loose. Stepping firmly on his shielded chest, she pointed the weapon towards his exposed and unprotected neck.

" Give up?" Sakura asked.

She grinned faintly when the man nodded his head, obviously in a way a traumatized person would.

Wit in the bustling and murmuring crowds, as small child picked the armor within his chubby arms. His eyes sparkled with admiration.

" Wow! Sakura-sama, you're so cool…" he called softly.

Smiling gently, she moved to where the boy stood. Kneeling gingerly, she said, " Don't call me Sakura-sama, 'kay? Sister would be good enough for me."

He nodded in a child-like way. " Sister, can I have this?" he asked, extending his arms to show him the abandoned headgear.

Sakura nodded.

The boy's mother moved forward. " Miss, I can't pay for this…" she began.

" Oh, no, no, it's on me." She stated in an assuring modus.

As both retreated back to into the clumps of towns people, she felt another presence behind her. Realizing it was not of an ally, she turned to send him a hit straight at the jaw, but found it blocked with accuracy.

What came next was expected of course. A sensation of ache pivoted through her head, as she lost control of her consciousness. She knew she was right then slipping away into a sure blackout.

Soon enough, that was the exact thing that happened.

* * *

Itachi was, to say simply, amused. 

It's not on a regular basis that his cute, little, trotting younger brother brought home a living, breathing girl. Okay, so she's a bit unconscious, so what? She's still technically alive, right?

Itachi turned to Kakashi, who was currently discussing some matters with him just a while ago. But now, he too was eyeing Sasuke with the same hilarity as he was.

The girl was currently slung on his brother's strong shoulder, her unique, cerise tendrils spilling down gracefully. Her eyes were hidden behind their lids, and her lips were parted slightly. She bore all the signs of being cataleptic.

Now was a perfect time to ridicule his _otouto_, he had thought with that sadistic glint in his jet-black orbs. " Sasuke, hanging out with Kakashi a lot lately?" he jeered, knowing that he was prodding a whole bundle of sensitive nerves by that single statement.

Judging by how Sasuke was taking in a hue of heavy scarlet, it was clearly a 'shut up, or else I'll gnaw your head off with one bite' kind of reaction.

" Aaw, our little twerp is growing up." Itachi cooed, snickering as well.

" **Shut up**, Itachi." The younger of the two siblings gnarled beastly.

**_I need someone to take her someplace else, right now…_ **

As if on cue, two servants gossiping and giggling with each other happened to pass by, oblivious by their presence. The moment they realized that they were absolutely not alone, both woman began stammering words of deepest apologies.

Disregarding their continuous mumblings and nervous fidgeting, Sasuke quickly unloaded the human package off his shoulder, and tossed her onto the outstretched arms of the maids. They barely caught Sakura's tumbling figure.

" Get her cleaned." Sasuke ordered, which caused the trembling females to nod their heads vigorously. " She stinks."

" No she doesn't, Sasuke-bastard." Naruto protested stubbornly.

" You sniffed her?"

" No," the knight said, " I just have keener senses than you do."

* * *

Kiriko sped through the bustling streets, trying his hardest to avoid the persons that came the other way.

He had checked everywhere.

Back at home, at the market, down the riverbed, back to their training spot, and back home again. He was getting damn tired of trying to find her, and yet, his efforts seemed wasted.

He **did not** like it when his efforts were wasted.

" Oi! Kiriko! Over here!"

His jade-green eyes scanned the vicinity for the sources of the voices. Halting into a stop, he spotted several familiar faces near the dango shop. All three slapped several bills onto the table, left the stall and jogged to were Kiriko stood.

" Hey…" Kiriko muttered, huffing out deep breaths.

" Man, every time I see you, you're all exhausted!" the one with bright scarlet hair complained, " What's up with all the work?"

Shaking his head vigorously, Kiriko began, " I need to find—"

" No, no, it's not the work, Kazuki!" another one quoted, grinning widely, " You know Kiriko's no match for his sister! Sakura, right?"

" Shut up, Hoshino!" the last hissed. He then turned to Kiriko, a thin layer of misery masking his orbs. " Dude, sorry for what happened to your little sis."

With that very statement, Kiriko's head snapped up, his emerald eyes flashing viciously. " What happened to her?" he hissed out.

" Uchiha Sasuke knocked her out." Kazuki spoke hollowly, " Then took her away."

" I mean, you know him. He's the prince of Konoha, and Sakura came up and tried to beat the crap outta' him. Then all these soldiers came out, and after she knocked them all out, he sneaked up on her back and knocked her unconscious." Hoshino explained, raking his hand through his hair.

" The crowd who watched heard she wanted your family's land back. No one couldn't do anything about it though, every person was scared of what might happen. Uchiha has the power over all of us."

There was a period of silence. The only thing they could hear was the shuffling of different footsteps.

" Kiriko?" Kazuki asked cautiously, " You still okay?"

" No." he snarled, his orbs gleaming dangerously. " I'll be back by 8 o'clock. I'll meet you guys at the ramen stand as usual."

As soon as he said those words, Kiriko had already disappeared.

All three craned their necks to gaze at the clock tower that hovered above the other buildings.

It said 7:30.

* * *

" Your brother took a woman home?" the king asked, doubting the whole idea. 

" Yes, father." Itachi answered, taking a gulp from the golden goblet that stood beside his plate. " I think her name is Sakura. Maybe Haruno Sakura, I heard from other villagers that she was joining unregistered tournaments in sword fighting."

Everything fell into silence.

An almost voiceless murmur escaped Shizuke's lips. " Haruno…?"

* * *

Author's Notes 

Uh… hey everybody! Long time no see!

Okay, so I have not yet been updating like a good author should. But hey! I do have a life apart from writing fan fictions. But, though I have my reasons, I would like to say I'm really, really sorry for the long delay.

If you ever had read my profile, I mentioned about 3 new titles to watch out for. **Affections across time**, **Spinning Scarlet**, **Elemental** and another one I couldn't remember are going to be posted in… I dunno, months time.

Please read! (and review if you want to answer my questions, or scold me for updating late)

Bye!

_ang3Lix_


	4. 04 Shaking the palace grounds

****

**By the Sword**

* * *

_In this world where everyone's the same, I know I must stand out._

_Given the chance to believe the truth, I know I must not doubt._

_The cogwheels of time cannot be stopped as present comes from past, _

_In this dangerous field of choice, I know I have to last. _

_In my honed talent, ability and strength I ask guidance from you my Lord,_

_Lead me back to where I was, _

_For I swore **by the sword**._

**CHAPTER FOUR: Shaking the palace grounds.

* * *

**

Within a blink of an eye, a whole upper torso emerged from a tangle of shabby blankets. In, out. In, out. She heaved her breaths in a hurry, trying to keep up with the fast pace of her heart. Holding out two fingers, she ran them on her right temple, where a fairly sized bruise began to materialize.

Her shaking fist now collected the thin blanket shielding her body from the coldness of the room. Wrenching it away, almost blindly hurried to the exit, only to meet the hard jail railings that blocked any kind of exit.

" What the heck is going on..?" she muttered, gripping on the cold, hard railing that blocked her escape.

For the first time in her life, she did not know what to do. She had done so many ridiculously dangerous things in her life, and those things placed her in situations. Situations that had placed her life on the line. But even so, though she had been in the worst of times, she managed to find a way to find safety once more. She was beginning to doubt whether or not she had lost her luck.

Her contemplation had blocked any kind of noise, and she did not hear the heavy footsteps, slight murmuring, and the dull clinking of metal to metal.

The next thing she knew she was grabbed harshly on the arm and was dragged away, even before she can do any kind of retaliation.

* * *

" OW!" she complained, tugging on her arm back fiercely, but to no avail.

" _OW_." She complained yet again, very childishly. " Ow, ow, ow, ow ow ow ow ow ow.. "

The soldiers assigned in the castle was much more skilled than those loitering around their village. Not only were they skilled, but they posses much more common sense than the others. She should have wriggled her way out of this predicament if not for the soldiers who saw through her little tricks and jokes.

And they were far more aggressive—in a completely irritating way.

She stifled a huge yawn.

It was then she realized how many things have happened to her this day. Her sparring sessions with Rei had turned haywire this day, she had to fight two batches of soldiers this day, for once in her life she was knocked out and abducted this day, and for the first time ever, she did not know what to do. THIS DAY.

What the hell was special about this day!

" Ow ow ow ow ow ow—"

" I had the clearest recollection that I told you to treat her nicely, didn't I?"

The voice from behind made the big, bulky soldier stutter in fear.

" S-sire, I was—"

" Oh really, nicely huh?" Sakura snarled silently, intending to talk to herself, " Never thought nearly crushing my arm as something nice, maybe kicking your ass would be something nicer, you big, abducting piece of shit you—"

" Look's like you didn't." The man said.

Sakura finally turned. Her eyes grew wide, then twitched with annoyance. There, standing before her, was a longer-haired, taller-built, deeper-voiced version of the very person that knocked her unconscious. He stood there, wearing an amused look in his face, clearly enjoying her antics that were not made to be chuckled at. And HE WOULDN'T STOP SMILING THAT STUPID AMUSED SMILE.

She was beginning to think the corners of his lips were stuck.

" Go before I demote you to a lower level," the prince look-alike said, not bothering to look at him.

Shaking with fear, he bowed so deeply he almost stumbled down the carpeted floor, then bounded off to another hallway.

At the second she realized she was free, she massaged her arm slowly, still muttering in disdain. It took another round of seconds just to remember she was still at the presence of another man. Straightening, she folded her arms across her chest, then shot defensively.

" What's the idea of dragging me here!"

That amused smile again. She was really starting to get sick of it. It turned out to be very redundant.

" And what's with that stupid smile! STOP SMILING!" she screeched, curling a fist and directing it towards his (though she refused to admit it) handsome face.

She clearly underestimated the strength of a man—this one must be specially trained to protect the royalty that resided in this castle. Maybe he was a special kind of soldier.. a head guard, who knows?

She did not connect, instead, his hand was holding her fist the most gentlest way possible. " It really amuses me, you know," he spoke fondly, " How you manage to win in _unregistered_ tournaments by your stature as a woman. And how you think you can beat every man in Konoha."

" So what?" she snarled gruffly, " The problem are you males. You think you can prance around ordering females to do everything you want. WELL STOP HARRASSING WOMEN, JERK!"

The raven-haired lad laughed at her statement. " No, really. You misunderstood. I brought you here so we can talk." He assured between breaths.

" HA! Talk! MY ASS!" she yelled, wrenching her hand away from his. " I AIN'T STRIPPING FOR YOU, YOU HEAR! I DON'T CARE WHO THE HECK YOU ARE, YOU'RE JUST A STUPID LITTLE FOOTNOTE ON MY EPIC ASS!'

Suddenly, a barrage of soldiers came bursting from the wooden staircase by their left. Because of their number, many tripped and fell, got a face full of carpet dust, accidentally ate a lot of cottony fiber that tasted like unbaked flour.

" Prince Itachi, is everything alright!" the three who survived the ramble gasped out, very exhausted. " We heard a shout… (pant, pant) lot of cursing… (breath, breath) lot of asses… (asthma attack, asthma attack)"

" WHAT DO YOU WANT—" Sakura shrieked in response, then stopped in realization. She sweated, furrowed her brows, confused her brain. " What do you mean prince?" she asked curiously.

" He, you stupid woman," the soldier said angrily, " Is the older prince of Konoha. Uchiha Itachi."

Sakura's anxiety level seemed to tone down. " Oh.. right.. well.." she turned stiffly to the amused man, " Hi there! N-nice to meet you!" she chirped half heartedly, giving him a small wave of the hand.

" Hmm, about that stripping thing.. sounds interesting." Prince Itachi said innocently, placing a finger upon his bottom lip. He teased like a hyena. It was annoying.

* * *

Sasuke sat in a soft couch in his room, his hands entwined together. He placed his elbows on his knees, is hand covering his face, so that only his onyx eyes were visible. He stared at the crackling fire before him, slightly mystified at the dancing flames.

As he waited for the pink-haired girl to arrive, he had mused upon her fighting skills. He admitted it was slightly out of the ordinary for a woman, but surely not greater than his, right? But the gracefulness when she moved, the way she extended her arms and legs for a kick or punch never failed to amuse him. The girl looked as if she was dancing when she was actually fighting. But seeing the pained expression upon his soldiers faces after their fight.. he knew she did not only posses the fluidity but also, the power and strength.

And until now, he still didn't know what to do of the first woman who defied him with pure anger.

His doors emitted a couple of knocks.

" Come in." he said.

But instead of seeing a flash of pink hair that belonged to her captive, he only saw the soldier whom he ordered to fetch her. he awaited for the man's explanation.

" Sire," stuttered the soldier, " She's nowhere to be found.."

" **_What?_**" out came a collective hiss from Sasuke's gritted teeth.

* * *

**END OF CHAPTER.**

Short, I know! Forgive me. I shall be back for more, I swear! In the mean time, enjoy the shortness). Enjoy, y'all! _ang3Lix_.


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